1961

Irving Weissman made the news in a very major way in recent months. For years the Stanford University pathologist has had a national reputation as an immunology specialist. Then Weissman and his colleagues and a company he founded, SyStemix Inc., developed a research mouse endowed with a human immune system, the SCID-hu mouse. This was a key step in finding possible treatments for AIDS and a breakthrough that won widespread notice. But that notice was dwarfed by the reaction when Weissman and his company won a patent for purified bone marrow stem cells, a development that merited headlines in the scientific world—and in the major newspapers, including a piece in the Wall Street Journal of Nov. 1. The breakthrough set off a major debate about whether such key elements of life should be patented. But underlying that debate was the potential importance of purified stem cells in bone marrow transplants, because using such stem cells could greatly reduce the risk of transplant rejection. Stem cells are the ancestors of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells, especially lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are both the heart of the immune system and the core of Weissman's life work. (Check out his description in our 25th Reunion book.) Sandoz Ltd. agreed to acquire 60 percent of SyStemix Inc. for $392 million, equivalent to about $65 a share. According to the December 17 Wall Street Journal, that means that Weissman's shares are worth $27.6 million!

Another physician classmate is continuing to gain national prominence. From Dartmouth Medicine: "Kenneth DeHaven has been elected president of the 900-meter American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. An authority on arthroscopic knee surgery, he recently completed a two-year term as president of the Internationa] Society of the Knee." Ken is professor of orthopedics and director of athletic medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Not bad for a former lab partner.

By now you should have received your new class directory. My letter got "squeezed out"-it didn't seem necessary or appropriate to add four pages to the directory just for a letter from me. The key element of that six-paragraph missing message: "Despite our using computer data compiled only days before this book went to press, some listings will be in error. Please either contact the College about a change, or contact me at . . . (the address below)." That's not my listing in the book because I prefer most College mail at home; just class mail at the office. I also noted that "official" nicknames had changed since our College days, though I suspect that you can still get a response out of "Bob" Anderson by hollering "Otter," or from "Dave" Prewitt by calling "Prew-Dads" Favorite nicknames still work for most others after 30 years. Some, however, may be trying to live them down.

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